January Ideas for Esl Lessons

While January is the New Year, and the new year brings an energizing feeling, the weather is often dull and cold and students are still continuing their curriculum and not starting a new "refreshing" one.

Besides the set curriculum, ensure that new and interesting tasks are added to their menu.  This does not mean playing games and entertaining the students, but rather adding some activities and work that you personally don't usually do in the classroom. 

Teachers tend to follow their own patterns, even choose the same "creative" ideas.  Try sharing with other teachers and doing a few things out of your own comfort zone; this will add interest for you too.  If teachers feel energized this feeling is passed on to the students:
 - Have students do projects for homework in order to present in class, have library sessions, organize impromptu presentations by the students or other teachers
- Get permission to team teach with a teacher you would like to share an experience with
- Make a list of ideas you hear from others.
-Create a newspaper with the results of each lesson presented in the paper.  For example, after a history lesson, all the students have to write a summary, draw a picture, search for photos of the period etc.  This way, the newspaper summarizes all the work done in the classroom.
Check out some writing ideas here for some other things to do in January

---